Kochi: After controversial businessman Santiago Martin, INTUC state president R. Chandrasekharan, the accused in the corruption case of Kerala Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC), has hired the chief minister's legal advisor M.K. Damodaran to defend his case in Kerala High Court.
Mr Damodaran filed a plea before Kerala High Court for Mr Chandrasekharan seeking to quash the FIR against him registered by the Vigilance on charges of corruption in purchasing poor quality raw cashew when he was the chairman of KSCDC.
The case came up for hearing on Tuesday and Justice B. Kemal Pasha sought the view of the Vigilance and Anti- Corruption Bureau. The case is that Mr Chandrasekharan while he was working as the chairman, conspired with the managing director of KSCDC, the contractor for supply of raw cashew nuts and the Quality Testing Laboratory, purchased inferior quality raw cashew nuts and thereby caused a loss of Rs 2.86 crore to the state government.
The petitioner contended that the CBI had already registered a case in this regard and initiated investigation based on the direction of the Kerala High Court.
So a parallel investigation by VACB on the same incident was illegal. The VACB registered the FIR for the offence under section 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 477A (falsification of accounts) and several sections of Prevention of Corruption Act. A parallel investigation by the VACB is prohibited by section 210 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
